Bouchon
The Venetian Resort, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV
September, 2009
- Jeb Dunnuck

Bouchon is the bistro side of Yountville’s famed French Laundry and while the Vegas destination isn’t quite up to the level of the parent establishment, they still deliver a quality meal and a decent (and relatively affordable) wine list.  This early morning visit followed a long night at the poker tables and the early time allowed us to sit on the outdoor patio, prior to the 110+ degree Vegas heat baking anything that dare step outside.

One of the many French cookbooks I have gives a recipe for “Chicken and Waffles” but, I could just never bring myself to actually make it. Roast chicken, in the morning, with waffles… seriously? Well,  after seeing this on the menu and despite the odd looks I received from the wife, I couldn’t resist giving it a whirl, .  To give you an idea of the success of the dish, I’m still craving this meal some 5 months later. The syrup compliments the simply roasted bird and the waffles were as decadent as could be. A huge order of french fries rounds out the food. Eclectic, yes  I know, but it did work!

On the wine side, a bottle of the 2006 Qupé Roussanne Hillside Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard offered fantastic aromatics of stone fruits, apricot, honey comb and subtle butter notes along with solid underlying minerality. It’s rich and full on the nose as well as complex and smooth. Medium to full bodied on the palate, the wine is perfectly balanced with fresh acidity, a precise, pure texture and a long finish. I’m a fan and would opt for drinking this over the next 3 or so years.

A bottle of 2007 Melville Pinot Noir Estate was straight up delicious with big, upfront pinot fruit, vanilla and a little licorice and exotic spice aromas. In the mouth, it’s medium to full bodied with a big texture, beautiful balance and finish that has you coming back for another drink.   This will be a crowd pleaser and I’d image would pair with a wide variety of foods.  At the release price of around 20 bucks, it’s also a fantastic value!

2006 Qupé Roussanne Hillside Estate Bien Nacido Vineyard - 92 pts.
2007 Melville Pinot Noir Estate - 91 pts.

Boulder, CO
December, 2009
Jeb Dunnuck

That’s it, every Friday needs a lunch like this…  The theme was Spain and there wasn’t a dog to be found in the lineup.

We started off with a sublime 1989 Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva. This is a blend of Viura and Malvasía and I don’t know of a better white for under 50 bucks.  Rich and in an oxidized style, this gains freshness in the glass and just oozes character and class.  Medium bodied with sweet fruit, a clean texture and a beautiful finish, this is also incredibly consistent.  Probably the third bottle I’ve had this year and they’ve all shown incredibly well.  As a side note, I think the ‘81 of this is even better!  Do yourself a favor and give one of these a whirl.

The sole white (if you don’t count the dessert wine)  led into a bevy of reds and we started with the lightest and progressed to the younger, heavier wines.  The 1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia would give more than one grand cru burgundy a run for its money.  Light, nuanced and complex aromatics lead into a silky, completely integrated wine that is drinking at point.  I wished this had a touch more umph but the table loved this wine.  It also improved in the glass so while at point, I don’t think it’s going to fall apart over the next couple of years either.

The 2000 Clos Erasmus was pop and pour and while not up to an otherworldly ‘98 from the previous night, boasted gorgeous aromas of chocolatey dark fruit, hot asphalt, dusty spice and serious chalk and minerals.  There was noticeable wood at first but over the lunch and later that evening, this was completely soaked up by the fruit.  The palate is medium to full bodied with impressive purity and richness, a killer texture and a tannic, blockbuster finish.   I thoroughly enjoyed this but if you like more mature aromas, or are tannin adverse, give this another 3 or so years in the cellar.  That might do it…

The 1996 Artadi Rioja Viña El Pison was showing hints of maturity on the nose with peppered steak, raw meat, minerals, vanilla and slightly cheesy notes as well as straight up, pure fruit.  It’s earthy, rich, and amazingly complex.  In the mouth, the wine is perfectly built and maintains a sense of elegance as well as power.  Full bodied but with a precise, structured edge, this gains steam on the finish and shows huge length.  I love the cut and poise and it’s rare to find this level of both power and elegance.  Huge, huge fan here.

About as polished and seamless as can be, the 100% Grenache 2005 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Aquilon started off with lots of sweet, high class oak but like the Clos Erasmus, quickly showed primarily pure, beautiful fruit.  Blackberry liqueur, vanilla, licorice and spice all come jumping from the glass and the palate is a lesson in texture and balance.  Perfectly built, seamless, full bodied and yet light and airy, this is still a baby in terms of development.  Can a wine that is so seamless and approachable at this stage possibly age and improve?  I don’t know but I’d drink this any day of the week.

A more structured, dense wine, the 1999 Celler Vall Llach had plenty of toast and char as well as a slight nutty note to go with its dark, earthy fruit driven core.  Medium to full bodied, this becomes more than a little impressive after the first sip and the wine is perfectly structured, balanced and rich. It finishes with ripe tannin, pure fruit and plenty of length.   The blend here is 35% Merlot, 50% Cariñena and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

We capped the meal with a 1940 S.A. Málaga Larios Málaga Solera. Completely opaque and with a very dark brown/black color, it was the essence of coffee flavored toffee (maybe throw in some flamed brown sugar… or molassas.. or.. you get the idea.) The beauty, and frankly a unique component to the wine, was that despite the huge body and relatively thick texture, the wine remained light, airy and down right drinkable.

1989 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva (White) - 93 pts.
1991 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva - 93 pts.
1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva - 92 pts.
2005 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja Aquilon - 96 pts.
2000 Clos Erasmus Priorat - 95 pts.
2001 Fernando Remírez de Ganuza Rioja Trasnocho - NR
1996 Artadi Rioja Viña El Pison - 97 pts.
1999 Celler Vall Llach Priorat Vall Llach - 95 pts.
1940 S.A. Málaga Larios Málaga Solera - 96 pts.

Denver, CO
November, 2009
Jeb Dunnuck

This dinner was arranged by the amazingly gracious Michael Weiss, and showcased the Crème de la Crème of the 1989 vintage.

Along with a number of tapas and appetizers, the evening started off with a surprisingly open and soft 1995 Krug Brut Champagne.  Yeast and bread aromas as well as plenty of ripe fruit show up on the nose and the wine struts on the palate with a soft, mouth filling texture, beautiful cut and clarity and a great finish.  I think the table was surprised at how approachable the wine was.  Representative or not, the wine was stunning.

Next, we dove into a lineup of ‘89 Chateauneuf-du-papes and a better flight I’ve not had for… well, ever?  Seriously, I felt like a kid in a candy store the whole evening.  The 1989 Château de Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin was near perfect and displayed a meaty, smoky personality with mushroom, tree bark and perfectly ripe, cool dark fruit aromatics.  The palate had so much length and staying power that I almost had to rinse my mouth out before trying another wine… the damn thing would just not quit!  Full bodied, perfectly structured and with a prodigious, unbelievable texture, this has everything you could want in a wine and while I think this would make any warm blooded human giddy to drink, it’s still young. While I wouldn’t hesitate to pop another bottle tomorrow (if I was lucky enough to have any), based on this showing, it’s still 3 to 5 (or more) years out from full maturity.

The 1989 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins was surprisingly clean and almost civilized with massive garrigue, herbs, minerals and roasted meat juice aromas and flavors.  Very full bodied and rich, the wine opened up in the glass and saturates the palate with ripe, exotic fruit and burly tannin.  Long, structured and still young, this stunning wine has a long life ahead of it.

In complete contrast to the two heavyweights, the 1989 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve was slightly reserved at first and when compared to its ‘90 and ‘95 siblings, shows a slightly cooler profile with a licorice and garrigue character.  Over the evening, more kirsch and sweetness emerged on the nose and the palate was pure Rayas with amazing sweetness, a seamless, lush and pure silk texture and killer finish.  Can anything compare to the sheer seamlessness and drinkability of a mature (relatively) Rayas?  Wow.

All of the wines went perfectly with a Lamb Shank & pasta dish and the bottles were drained over a roughly two hour period.  They had been previously decanted and while drinking well,  they all improved in the glass and probably fall on the early side of their maturity window.   At 20 years of age, that’s saying something and I think these wines would stand up to and surpass anything out there.

The evening was capped with a monstrous 1995 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice.  Pouring out of the bottle like 40 weight motor oil, this wine smacks you in the mouth with thick, dense fruit.  It literally has a heavy, tactile feel in the mouth and while a fork could be used, the wine is balanced, silky, amazingly concentrated and crazy long on the palate.  Think PX but only better and this gets a serious Wow!

As always, thanks for reading!

- Jeb

Courses:

• Veal Sweetbreads with purple top turnips, roasted fall vegetables, Verde mustard greens
• Mussels with Chorizo, roasted tomatoes, red onion, tarragon
• Lamb Shank Tagliatelle
• Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Wines:

• 1995 Krug Champagne Brut - 95 pts.
• 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin - 99+ pts.
• 1989 Henri Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins - 98 pts.
• 1989 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve - 97+ pts.
• 1995 Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano Occhio di Pernice - 97 pts.

I had a great laid back evening last night hanging out with Rico and his lovely wife Jana.  The occasion was the nebbiolo head’s birthday and we kicked back and drank through some lovely bottles.

We started with a grower champagne that’s imported by Terry Theise… I failed to get the name but it was an NV that had been disgorged in 1999 and showed fantastic rich fruit, brioche, subtle nuttiness and minerals as well as vibrant acidity and a rich mouth feel. Sign me up for more of these and I’ll update this post later when I get the producer.

The 1993 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia had been slow o’ed for the day and while not showing huge depth or richness, was a treat and showed that nebbilo profile that makes lovers of this variety sigh with pleasure… tar, roses, tobacco, menthol and subtle black tea aromas and flavors drive the wine and the palate is smooth, medium bodied and fresh… as well as austere and slightly unforgiving.   I’d opt to drink these while there’s still a hint of sweetness to the fruit but the neb expert disagreed.

We switched gears with the 1999 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes.  This old vine cuvee is the essence of Grenache and has heady blackberry and spice laden dark fruit, liquefied stems, licorice, meat juice and fresh cut flower aromatics, medium to full body and a rich, long finish. As with the Conterno, it lacks some depth on the palate but shows true character and transparency.  Sadly my last bottle.  I think this is drinking well and had a good 5 to 10 more years of prime time.

That’s all folks. Have a good weekend!
Jeb

NV Champagne Producer TBD - 91 pts.
1993 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Cascina Francia - 91 pts.
1999 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes - 93 pts.

Domaine Charvin

2008 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rosé (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
Crisp strawberry and cherry aromas lead on the 2008 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rosé and give way to a medium bodied, mineral laced wine. Fresh, balanced and with nice length to the finish, this is an excellent Rosé to drink over the next 12 months. (89 pts.)

2007 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
An outstanding wine, the 2007 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge offers up a decidedly earth bouquet of black pepper, minerals, crushed stones and licorice. On the palate, the wine is medium to full bodied with beautiful depth, solid and upfront structure and a long, fruity finish. While beautiful now, this could actually use a year or two in the cellar and then should age well for 10+. (90 pts.)

2007 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Laurent’s 2007 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a beauty and shows dark and rich aromas of mineral, pepper, meat, garrigue and stone that are supported by a core of stunning fruit. Very dense and concentrated with plenty of full bodied power, this has thick fruit that’s perfectly balanced by a silky texture and ripe, fine grained tannins. A candidate for short term cellaring, this should be long lived. (95+ pts.)

2006 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2006 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a tradition Chateauneuf with boatloads of garrigue, herbs de Provence, lavender and perfumed, licorice infused fruit. Showing beautiful complexity and intensity on the nose, the palate is medium to full bodied with sweet fruit, a soft, supple texture and an overall elegant character. I’d drink these over the coming 10 to 12 years. (93 pts.)

2004 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
A spicy Côtes du Rhône that’s drinking at point, the 2004 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rouge shows nice aromatics of garrigue, spice, saddle leather and sweet fruit that lead into a medium bodied, balanced palate. There’s still solid structure lurking under the fruit and this should easily last 5+ more years. (88 pts.)

2004 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing complex, nuanced aromatics of black cherry fruit, herbs de Provence, licorice and serious mineral notes, the 2004 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is medium bodied, smooth, elegant and streamlined. Drink over the next 10 years or so. (91 pts.)

Domaine du Pégaü

2008 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Réservée (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A crisp, steely wine, the 2008 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Cuvée Réservée offers up liquid mineral, licorice, citrus and floor polish aromas that lead into a medium bodied, clean, balanced palate. Very fresh but with nice texture, this is a beautiful Rhône white. (90 pts.)

2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Tasted from cask, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée shows a dark, concentrated and masculine personality with black pepper, herbs, garrigue and meat aromas being supported by dark blackberry fruit. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this has crisp acids to go with plenty of sweet fruit and impressive length on the finish. (94-96 pts.)

2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Also from cask and much more deep and concentrated than the Cuvée Réservée, the 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo offers up stunning dark fruit, pepper, garrigue, meat and earth aromas and the density is certainly note worthy. In the mouth the wine is full bodied, amazingly concentrated and structured, balanced and very long. (97-99 pts.)

2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing better than previous bottles, the 2006 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée has put on weight and exhibits beautiful garrigue, bramble, meat and dark fruit, medium to full body and a rich, full texture. Balanced and clean, this should drink beautifully over the next 15 years. (93 pts.)

2005 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Smelling like the essence of a Provencal market, the 2005 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence is packed with garrigue, roasted meat, saddle leather, lavender and fantastic fruit. The palate is full bodied, beautifully balanced and pure with a smooth, silky texture, plenty of depth and masses of fine grained tannins on the long finish. The nose on the wine says this is drinking beautifully now but the palate says hang onto for 5 years and then drink over the next 20. (94 pts.)

2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2004 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Laurence is a spicy, complex wine that is packed with garrigue, violets, leather, tobacco and meaty aromas that are supported by licorice infused cassis and blackberry fruit. Full bodied on the palate with rich fruit, a great texture and plenty of length to finish, this shows a more evolved character than the Cuvée Réservée and I’d suggest drinking these over the next 10 years. (92 pts.)

Domaine de Beaurenard

2008 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2008 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc offers up pretty floral, citrus and mineral aromas, medium body and clean, pure fruit on the nice finish. Drink over the short term. (88 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Seeing close to 18 months in barrique, the 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Boisrenard shows stunning, tropical aromatics of pineapple, peach, vanilla and smoke. There’s nice ripeness but also notable lift and freshness as well. The palate is medium to full bodied with impressive balance, nice cut and precision and a long, enjoyable finish. (91 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Côtes du Rhône (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
The 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Côtes du Rhône offers up complex and pretty aromatics of black cherry, lavender and garrigue that lead into a medium bodied, slightly lean palate. This is a good wine that I think should be consumed while the fruit holds. (85 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape exhibits nice black cherry, meat, leather and earthy aromatics but lacks a little charm on the palate. Medium bodied, structured and tannic; this does finish well but the overall lean profile is worrisome. My best guess is to drink over the short term. (87 pts.)

2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape is filled with black cherry and subtle raspberry fruit, earth and mineral aromas that lead into a medium bodied, bright, pure wine. Picks up ripe, fine grained tannins on the long finish. (90 pts.)

2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
This bottle of 2004 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard was much more dense and unforgiving than previous bottles and showed dark, earthy fruit, raw meat, smoke and charcoal aromas, medium body and crisp acidity. Structured and dense, this has lots of tannins to flesh out. (90+?)

2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Showing lots of vanilla and oak at the moment (this sees 18 months in barrique), the 2006 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard offers up smoky dark fruit and meaty notes to go with a structured, medium bodied palate. As with this producers traditional Chateauneuf in ’06, I question if this wine has enough fruit to handle its formidable, tannic backbone. Still, it’s an outstanding wine with plenty of depth and quality fruit. (91+? pts.)

2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2007 Domaine de Beaurenard (Paul Coulon et Fils) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard exhibits copious amounts of spicy oak, tobacco and roasted meat notes that are intermixed with beautiful cassis and blackberry fruit. In the mouth, it’s medium to full bodied with nice concentration, beautiful purity and admirable balance. Give this a couple of years to integrate its barrique elevage and then drink over the next 15. (94 pts.)

Domaine de Cristia

2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieille Vignes Blanc (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A superb Rhone white, the 2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieille Vignes Blanc offers up deep, rich aromas of tropical fruit, toasted almonds, spice and honey comb that lead into a medium to full bodied palate. Balanced and with nice acidity, this has a full, mouth filling texture and a long finish. (92 pts.)

2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, the 2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape possesses a big, Grenache driven bouquet of purple fruits, fresh raspberries, licorice and mineral notes that show nice lift paired with plenty of richness. In the mouth the wine is medium to full bodied with soft, lush fruit, impressive richness and plenty of length. Drink this beauty over the following 10 to 12 years. (91 pts.)

2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieille Vignes (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Sporting a deep, opaque purple color, the 2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieille Vignes is 100% old vine Grenache and sees only old wood (2 and 3 year old barrels.) The nose is open and lush with smoky blackberry and cassis fruit aromas mixed with raw meat, licorice and earthy notes. While certainly complex, this is a hedonistic dream and the palate is full bodied, stunningly rich, decadent and very long. (98 pts.)

2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A blend of 60% Grenache (from 100 to 110 year old vines) and 40% Mourvedre, the 2007 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance is very dark and rich with cassis, meat, and vanilla aromas, full body, stunning purity and serious precision. In complete contrast to the open and lush Vieille Vignes bottling, this shows a much more dense and structured personality (but more edge and precision) and warrants cellar time. Give this a couple years and then drink over the following 20. (96+ pts.)

2006 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
The 2006 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre and possesses clean, complex aromas of licorice, blackberry, leather and garrigue. Medium bodied in the mouth with sweet fruit, impressive balance and a smooth texture. Drinking well now, this should easily last for 10 to 12 years. (91 pts.)

2006 Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieille Vignes (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
One of the top 2006s, the Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieille Vignes possesses notes of dark, earthy fruit, meat and minerals, full body, sweet fruit, great balance and a fantastic texture. More precise and streamlined than both the ’05 and ’07, this should drink beautifully over the next 15+ years. (95 pts.)

I’m in the process of entering all of the notes from the trip into the database…  but it’s taking some time.  So in the mean while, I’ll post the updates as I complete them.  Once all of the notes are in, I plan on creating an adobe .pdf version that contains additional info as well as photos.

Domaine de la Janasse

2008 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition Blanc (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A beautiful Rhone Blanc, the 2008 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition Blanc is a blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne and 25% Clairette that’s vinified in barrel (80% new with lees stirring for the first 7 months) and shows minerals, smoky earth, peach and subtle oak notes that carry in to the finish. Balanced, clean and with impressive acidity, this should drink beautifully over the next couple of years. (90 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Blanc (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
Floral, honeyed and easy drinking, the 2008 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Blanc (A blend of 50 % Grenache Blanc, 15% Clairette, 15% Bourboulenc, 10% Viognier, 10% Roussanne from sandy soils) is medium bodied with a fat, soft texture and a clean finish. Drink over the next year or two. (87 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Janasse Viognier Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange)
The 2008 Domaine de la Janasse Viognier Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange shows complex, nuanced aromas of white flowers, spice, bread dough and tropical fruit. Medium bodied in the mouth, it’s a fat, soft and textured wine to drink over the near term. (87 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Prestige (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
A blend of 70% Roussanne, 15% Grenache Blanc (more than 60 years old) and 15% Clairette (more than 60 years) that sees 14 months in barrique, the serious 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Prestige possesses a white Burgundy like personality with buttery oak and vanilla aromas being supported by fantastic, ripe, clean and mineral laced fruit. Medium to full bodied in the mouth, this has beautiful precision, rich, ripe fruit and a long, textured finish. I don’t know how this will age but the recommendation from the domaine is to cellar for the short term and then drink over the following 5+ years. A beautiful wine! (92 pts.)

2006 Domaine de la Janasse Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange Terre de Bussière (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange)
Showing noticeable herbaceous notes (a blend of 55% Merlot, 25% Syrah, 10% Grenache and 10% Cabernet), the 2006 Domaine de la Janasse Vin de Pays de la Principauté d’Orange Terre de Bussière has plum and cassis fruit, medium body, a soft texture and some rustic tannin on the finish. This is a perfect picnic wine to drink over the next year or two. (85 pts.)

2008 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
A blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 15% Carignan and 5% Cinsault, the 2008 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône shows nice, slightly jammy aromatics of crushed berries, raspberries, spice and earth that carry into a medium bodied palate. Clean, balanced and with nice freshness, this lacks some mid-palate fat but still has a lot to like. Drink over the short term. (87 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d’Argile (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages)
A stunning wine, the 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d’Argile is a blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre with the Syrah and Mourvèdre both being aged in new barrique and the Grenache seeing only vat. The wine possesses an upfront, perfumed character with blackberries and cassis fruit, meat, vanilla and earth notes literally jumping from the glass. Medium bodied on the palate, the wine possesses fantastic, ripe fruit, a silky, textured mouth feel and a long, rich finish. This should drink beautifully over the next 10 to 15 years. (92 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Les Garrigues (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône)
Surpassing any number of Chateauneuf du Papes, the 100% Grenache, 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Côtes du Rhône Les Garrigues exhibits deep, rich aromatics of blackberry and raspberry fruit, grilled meat, licorice and earth. Sporting serious density, concentration and lift, the palate is medium to full bodied, pure, balanced and long. In comparison to the Terre d’Argile’s upfront personality, this seems more serious and could warrant 2 to 3 years in the cellar and then should drink beautifully over the next 15 years. (93+ pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
Bright, clean and with gorgeous purity and lift, the 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape shows mineral and licorice laced dark fruit aromatics, medium to full body, awesome texture and a structured, long finish. (93 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Absolutely stunning, the 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin is packed with pure, clean and fresh aromas of assorted dark fruits, blackberry, lavender, flowers and spice. On the palate, it’s full bodied with beautifully sweet fruit ripe, fine grained tannins, perfect balance and a finish that simply won’t quite. This has the fruit to drink well young but the structure to age for 20 years. (98 pts.)

2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
One of the top wines in the vintage, the 2007 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 3% Mourvèdre and 2% various and has 25% of the wine being aged in 40% new barrels. It offers up ripe, dark aromatics of cassis, blackberry, spice and grilled meat that are both fresh and decadent at the same time. These lead into a full bodied, massive palate that is perfectly balanced with amazing fruit, a silky texture and a finish that last for nearly a minute. While this will last for decades, the sheer seamlessness and balance should have it drinkable on release. (99 pts.)

Coming soon… Domaine de Cristia!

2005 Domaine Puig Parahy Côtes du Roussillon Georges (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon)
Per the bottle, the 2005 Domaine Puig Parahy Côtes du Roussillon Georges is from 60 to 80 year old vines (the blend isn’t stated but I’d guess a fair bit of Grenache and Carignan), is hand harvested and is the winemaker’s favorite blend, hence the name. A really pretty wine that is packed with earthy black cherry fruit, minerals, iron and licorice aromas and with air time, more roasted herb and spice aromas show up. The palate is medium bodied with sweet fruit and an almost burgundian sappiness to the texture. Bright, clean, well balanced and with ample length on the finish, this is excellent and worth checking out. (88 pts.)

2006 Domaine Puig Parahy Côtes du Roussillon Georges (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon)
Produced from old vines, the 2006 Domaine Puig Parahy Côtes du Roussillon George is a fantastic bargain and smells like a Provencal market with copious amounts of garrigue, lavender, minerals, spice and leather aromas that simply scream out for a quickly roasted chicken. Southern Rhone to the max but there might be a wee bit a brett as well so watch out is you cry foul at the slightest whiff of leather and/or funk. The palate is medium bodied, rich, balanced and clean with nice acidity, beautiful fruit and a medium to long, mineral laced finish. Buy this by the case and drink it over the next 3 to 5 years. (89 pts.)

2005 Domaine Puig Parahy Syrah Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes)
Displaying a big, meaty, plum and cassis scented bouquet, the 2005 Domaine Puig Parahy Syrah Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes has gobs of ripe fruit sitting on top of roasted herbs, spice and tobacco aromas. The palate is medium bodied with a rich, chewy texture and a slightly tight, backwards personality. There’s plenty of concentrated fruit and this picks up some chocolate flavors and plenty of dusty tannins on the finish. Per the bottle, this is made from choice lots of older Syrah. (88+ pts.)

2007 Domaine Puig ParahY Côtes du Roussillon Le Fort Saint Pierre (France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon)
Hand picked from vineyards located in the foothills of the Pyrennes, the 2007 Domaine Puig Parahy Côtes du Roussillon Le Fort Saint Pierre is billed as the top red of the domaine and offers up a dense, slightly reserved nose of wild blueberries and cassis scented fruit that’s layered with flowers, mineral, black pepper and earth notes . The palate is medium to full bodied with ripe fruit, solid concentration and a tannic, structured personality that’s buffered by all of the fruit in the wine.  The lush and soft quality to the fruit makes me think this is an early to mid term ager but the solid structure could have this going well for a number of years.  I’d give this one a year or two in the cellar and see what happens.  (88+ pts.)